Fissidens flaccidus Mitten 1860

Plants very small. Leafy stems simple, 2.4–3.7 mm long, 1.8–2.0 mm wide; axillary hyaline nodules not differentiated; central strand lacking. Leaves in 4–7 pairs, upper leaves oblong-lanceolate, 1.2–2.0 mm × 0.3–0.4 mm wide, acute at apex; base of dorsal laminae wedge-shaped; vaginant laminae 1/2 –3/5 the leaf length, equal; costa thin, ending far below the leaf apex; margins entire; leaves bordered all around; limbidia on apical and dorsal laminae, consisting of 2–3 rows of cells, becoming indistinct toward the base of dorsal laminae; limbidia on vaginant laminae stronger, consisting of 2–5 rows of cells, 1–3 cells thick in cross section; cells of apical and dorsal laminae rhombic to elliptic-ovate, 40–50 µm long, thin-walled; cells of upper part of dorsal and vaginant laminae similar to those of apical laminae, but more elongate toward the base, up to 94 µm long. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: China, Japan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Africa, and Americas.

Habitat: on rocks or soil.

Fissidens maceratus Mitt., Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 19: 91. 1882. Fissidens splachnobryoides Broth. in Schum. & Lauterb., Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 81: 1900. Fissidens splachnobryoides fo. subbrachyneuron (Thér. & P. de la Varde) Herz., J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 14: 55. 1955. Fissidens subbrachyneuron Thér. & P. de la Varde, Rev. Gén. Bot. 29: 292. 1917.